Three of the family – Chukkat
Three members of Moses’ family come in this week’s sidra, Aharon, Pinchas and Hur.
Aaron loves peace and tries to create a nice feeling amongst people.
Pinchas is a zealot who protests and demonstrates (and even kills) when he sees bad things happening.
Hur is a martyr who resists the cult of the golden calf and is prepared to lose his life for the cause.
One of the family brings his faith into human relationships; one kills for his faith; one dies for his faith.
Which one has the best approach? Which one should we emulate?
All have their merits but they also have their drawbacks, and it is from their drawbacks that we can derive important lessons.
From Aharon we learn that a quiet life isn’t always the best way. From Pinchas we learn that one should not over-react. From Hur we learn that if you remain alive there is always another opportunity of standing up for the cause.
As Kohelet says, there is a time and a place for everything.
